Support worker jobs

Wonderseekers, the charity behind Winchester Science Centre, is seeking a senior leader to drive the charity’s financial strategy and operational effectiveness. As a key member of the Executive Team, the role will provide strategic oversight of financial operations, risk management, and key support services, ensuring the charity's long-term sustainability. The successful candidate will work closely with senior leadership and trustees to align financial and operational goals with the charity’s mission of engaging children with science to improve their lives and contribute to a sustainable future. This leadership position will also focus on the efficient delivery of essential support functions, ensuring compliance with governance, legal obligations, and safety standards, and fostering a culture of excellence across all areas.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to step into a pivotal leadership role at a charity with a powerful purpose and a solid financial foundation. Following a period of remarkable transformation, we are poised for even greater impact—investing in sustainability, expanding our reach, and enhancing our impact-driven science engagement experiences. If you’re passionate about leveraging financial leadership to create a better future for children and the planet, we’d love to hear from you.

Job details

Hours: 37.5 per week.

Work pattern: Usually Monday to Friday working during office hours with occasional weekends and out of hours work, however we do operate very flexibly.

Salary: Between £60,000-£70,000 per annum depending on experience (full-time)

Contract: Permanent

Line manager: CEO

Responsible for: Head of Finance, Head of Estates and Sustainability, Head of Digital Infrastructure

Holiday: 28 days per annum plus bank holidays (full-time). Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years. The post-holder will not usually be expected to work bank holidays however when duties require, time off in lieu will be available.

Location: Between both sites - Winchester Science Centre, Winchester, SO21 1HZ and Wonderseekers HQ, Eastleigh, SO50 9DE. Some remote working is possible however an onsite presence is required for most of the role.

Benefits: Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, café and shop discount, electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme, free tickets to WSC and partner attractions, family friendly leave, wellbeing policy, mental health first aiders, charity workers discount scheme, cycle to work scheme, financial loans, flexible IT, casual dress, staff events, enhanced pension contribution and pension salary sacrifice scheme, inflationary pay rise subject to charity performance and more.

Deadline: Monday 12th May 2025 9am

1st round interviews: 20th and 21st May 2025 at Winchester Science Centre

2nd round interviews: w/c 9th June

Please contact us if you’d like to arrange an informal chat or have any questions about the role before applying.

About our Charity

Wonderseekers (the Charity behind Winchester Science Centre) strives to engage all children with science so they can live happier, healthier and more sustainable lives and contribute to improving life on earth. The Charity runs Winchester Science Centre - a vibrant, hands-on experience for young children. Promising an exciting day out for families, with curriculum-linked trips for schools and an evening events programme, the Science Centre welcomes over 170,000 visitors every year. Through our magnificent planetarium and live science experiences, science is brought to life in imaginative, fun and accessible ways that means everyone is included.

Key Objectives

• Finance Leadership: Be the architect of and execute a strategic vision for the charity's financial growth and long-term sustainability, ensuring resilience in financial operations.
• Risk Management: Lead and drive the strategic management of risk within the Charity, fostering a culture of continuous improvement in risk practices.
• Health, Safety, and Safeguarding: Promote and ensure a culture of excellence in Health and Safety and Safeguarding practices, maintaining the highest standards across the charity
• Infrastructure Development: Champion the development and implementation of robust systems and infrastructure to enable the charity to fulfil its mission efficiently and effectively.
• Leadership: Lead the Charity Support Services team, ensuring seamless and proactive support for the organisation’s operations and strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Executive leadership and strategic contribution

• Report directly to the CEO, providing regular updates on financial performance, risk management, and operational efficiency. Additionally, the CFRO will present detailed financial reports, risk assessments, and progress on strategic goals to the Board of Trustees, ensuring transparency and alignment with the charity's long-term objectives.
• As a key member of the Executive Team, actively contribute to the development and refinement of the charity’s overall strategy, aligning financial and risk management goals with broader charity objectives.
• Play a leading role in setting and delivering the goals and targets defined in the charity’s business plan, ensuring financial health and operational efficiency.

Financial strategy and governance

• Develop, implement, and continually refine the charity’s financial strategy, policies, and practices in alignment with best practices and the organisation’s overall strategic goals.
• Provide financial leadership and oversight, ensuring the charity’s financial health by managing the planning, budgeting, reporting, and monitoring processes.
• Manage and oversee the preparation of accurate, timely financial statements, budgets, and forecasts that support decision-making by the Executive Team and Board.

Risk management and mitigation

• Lead the development and implementation of an enterprise-wide risk management framework that identifies, assesses, and mitigates risks across all operations.
• Oversee regular risk assessments and report on risk management performance, ensuring that all areas of the organisation are proactively managing risks.
• Foster a culture of risk awareness across the charity, ensuring that risk management is embedded in all key decision-making processes.

Operational efficiency and support services

• Lead and drive the efficient delivery of essential charity support functions, including IT, facilities management, health and safety, and safeguarding, ensuring that they are effectively resourced and aligned with the charity’s strategic needs.
• Ensure these functions operate in a seamless and ‘invisible’ manner, enhancing the operational efficiency of the charity while supporting its mission delivery.

Compliance and regulatory oversight

• Ensure full compliance with charity governance, statutory reporting, and all relevant legal obligations, including charity law, tax regulations,, financial reporting standards and data protection. The postholder will also act as our Data Protection Officer.
• Ensure that the charity adheres to all relevant health and safety regulations, creating and maintaining a safe working environment for staff, volunteers, and visitors.

Leadership and team development

• Lead, manage, and inspire the Charity Support Services team, ensuring a high level of collaboration and providing the resources needed for effective performance.
• Champion a culture of continuous improvement, supporting the professional development of staff and encouraging innovative problem-solving.

Stakeholder management and reporting

• Engage with the Board of Trustees and external stakeholders on matters relating to financial performance and risk management.
• Provide regular reports to the Board, senior leadership, and key stakeholders on financial status, risk assessments, and performance against strategic goals.

Person Specification:

Education:

• Essential: A recognised accountancy qualification (preferably ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Desirable: Management/leadership qualification or significant professional experience at a senior level in the charity sector.

Experience and knowledge:

Essential:

o A minimum of three years' experience in a senior management or leadership role.

o Proven track record of managing finance for a medium to large charity.

o Experience as a member of a Senior Management Team, contributing to strategic decision-making and organisational leadership.

o Expertise in financial management, including producing management accounts and monitoring cash flow for organisations with an annual turnover exceeding £2 million.

o Experience in business planning and long-term financial forecasting to support strategic goals.

o Strong experience in team management, including motivating staff and overseeing performance to drive high levels of engagement.

o Demonstrable experience of managing budgets, safeguarding processes, and risk management.

o Experience in the production and implementation of policies for example those related to finance, risk, health and safety, safeguarding and data protection within a charitable context.

Desirable:

o Familiarity with managing complex cash flow monitoring processes in a dynamic, mission-driven organisation.

Skills and Abilities:

Essential:

o Advanced IT skills, particularly in Excel, for financial analysis and reporting.

o Strong numeracy and attention to detail, ensuring accurate and high-quality outputs.

o Excellent time management and the ability to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines effectively.

o Outstanding verbal and written communication skills in English, with the ability to present complex financial and risk-related information clearly to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.

o Proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, with a hands-on and proactive approach.

o Personal integrity, intellectual agility, and the capacity to influence stakeholders at all levels within the organisation.

o Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusting relationships across diverse teams and external partners.

o A professional, flexible, and resilient approach, maintaining composure in high-pressure environments.

Desirable:

o Ability to work effectively in a customer-facing organisation, ensuring financial and risk practices align with service delivery.

o Energetic, self-starting, and results-driven with a focus on continuous improvement and organisational impact.

o A positive and collaborative attitude towards contributing to a team culture that supports the charity’s mission.

The post-holder will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check.

Interview Process:

We look forward to getting to know you through our friendly and welcoming interview process. The interview is likely to include a pre-interview task and questions from our panel. Interview questions will be circulated in advance.

We can’t wait to hear from you! Please contact us if you’d like to arrange an informal chat, or have any questions about the role before applying.

Ready to Apply?

When you are ready to apply, please submit your application through our recruitment portal.

You will be asked to submit your contact details and answer a few questions so we can get to know you. Please keep your responses concise, this is your opportunity to really stand out. After answering these questions, please upload your cover letter and CV.

Need information in a different format or would like to apply in an alternative way? Just get in touch via our website.

No recruitment agencies, thank you.

ShareAction is an independent charity and an expert on responsible investment. We work to build a world where the financial system serves our planet and its people. We set ambitious standards for how financial institutions, through their investment decisions, can protect our planet and its people and campaign for this approach to become the norm. We convene shareholders to collectively push companies to tackle the climate crisis, protect nature, improve workers’ rights and shape healthier societies. In the UK and EU, we advocate for financial regulation that has society’s best interests at its core.

What you’ll do

Leading our communications team, the Head of Communications is responsible for strategic and tactical communications activity at ShareAction, covering both traditional media and our digital team.

The role is key to ensuring our visibility and thought leadership and promoting our campaigning activity. Today’s news agenda is moving increasingly fast, and this role will be critical to ensuring that we keep on top of developments and the opportunities and risks that these present.

As the Head of Communications, you will lead the team to business partner with all functions of ShareAction, from campaigning on the European banking sector to policy advocacy and our presence at AGMs.

A usual week will see you scanning the landscape, advising on reputation and positioning on emerging issues, as well as overseeing the delivery of tactical media and digital outputs.

As part of this role, you will regularly be engaging with journalists and others in the media landscape using your skills to ensure coverage, enhance our reputation and influence the financial sector and real-world companies. You will help ShareAction work towards our vision by positioning us as a voice of authority and a highly effective campaigning organisation.

If this role sounds like something that would build on your current skill set and engage you, we’d love to hear from you!

What you’ll bring to the team

We want to hear from you if you have experience across media and digital communications and, particularly, in strategic communications. The role is right for someone with skills in narrative building, a keen eye for avoiding jargon and the ability to communicate technical language clearly and succinctly.

We think this role would suit someone who has previous experience in a campaigning communications role and who enjoys telling powerful stories.

While we hope we’ll find someone with the majority of these skills and experience, we’re keen to hear from you even if you don’t have them all. We appreciate lots of skills are transferable, and we welcome opportunities to explore different ways of achieving our goals.

We have a formal hybrid working policy in place, and the communications team meets in the office on at least a weekly basis. As a team that works across the organisation, we acknowledge the value of spending time with colleagues from across the organisation in person. There is, therefore, an expectation that you will be able to attend the office or meetings on a regular basis.

What we will do for you

We are a fast-paced organisation that has grown substantially over the past few years. We recognise that our people work hard to advocate for responsible investment and drive meaningful engagement with those who have the power to create a brighter future. Every day, they bring their expertise, passion and persistence to build a world where the financial system serves our people and planet. We want to ensure we provide the right environment for our colleagues to thrive, and we are committed to improving our employee offer where possible.

Currently, we are pleased to offer:

• A commitment to flexible working: over 60% of our employees have some sort of flexible working arrangement in place.
• Hybrid working: we are committed to supporting our staff to work in a way that suits their lifestyle and meets the requirements of their role.
• Internal promotion and development opportunities: we offer a range of ways to improve your skills and focus on what you love, including promotion, secondment, or sideways development opportunities. For some levels of roles, we also offer direct progression.
• The opportunity to help make a difference: we tackle some of the world’s biggest social and environmental challenges. We offer opportunities for you to develop your skills and experience in a friendly, flexible and supportive working environment.
• A unionised work environment: our staff have the opportunity to join the union and are supported by our recognised union, Unite. We regularly consult and negotiate with our employees on workplace matters ranging from working conditions to pay.
• Regular in-person meetings, including all-staff away days, retreats and directorate strategy days to create connected teams.
• 8% non-contributory pension: invested with NEST and their green funds.
• A healthcare plan with Bupa.
• An employee assistance programme: advice and support, lifestyle discounts and short-term counselling.
• Death in service cover of 3x salary.
• 25 days’ annual leave (increasing with length of service) plus office closure at the end of the year, ensuring everyone gets time to switch off together.
• Enhanced family leave pay: up to 18 weeks paid at 90% for either parent.
• Enhanced sick pay starting at 5 weeks’ full pay from day 1.
• Season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme.

ShareAction values and respects all differences in people (seen and unseen) and welcomes applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries. We are committed to having a team that is made up of diverse skills, experiences and abilities, and we are working hard to provide an environment where all can bring their authentic selves to work. We know that some people won’t apply for a role unless they meet all the requirements listed in the job description. If this is the case for you, but you think you would excel in this role, we want to hear from you!

For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the Apply button.

Closing date: 9:00 am on Monday 28th April 2025.
First interviews: w/c 5th May 2025 (online).
Second interviews: w/c 12th May 2025. 

To be considered for this post, you must be legally eligible to work in the UK; unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Sundial Centre for Education on Harmful Practices (“Sundial” previously called Oxford Against Cutting) delivers high quality education and training on harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation (FGM), ‘honour’-based abuse (HBA) and harmful body alterations. We offer safeguarding training for teams of professionals such as teachers, police and social workers. We also deliver lessons in schools, as well as workshops for community groups. We ensure people from FGM- and HBA- affected communities and young people are at the forefront of our work and all our workshops are delivered with facilitators from affected communities. 

We are looking for a Communications Manager to support our marketing, press and social media work.

Job Description

The charity would like to increase our digital footprint by 50% and in order to do this we need a highly motivated communications lead to boost our profile. You will create and deliver a marketing, press and social media strategy, to increase both the reach of our work and awareness of harmful practices. You will build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including journalists, influencers and ambassadors to raise our visibility in both English and international languages in UK press, manage all our platforms and create digital content. You will work with the team and trustees to achieve desired outputs within agreed timeframes and budgets, to operational standards. Your work will be co-designed and informed by survivors and communities. You will operate under the principles of Do No Harm. 

This role will be home-based and in Oxfordshire and will report to the CEO.

Person Specification

You will ideally be from a community affected by a harmful practice such as FGM/C or ‘honour’-based abuse and forced marriage. This does not necessarily mean you personally have been affected, but you have a deep understanding of the issues from living in your community.

Your knowledge of the topic:

You will need a strong understanding of violence against women and girls (VAWG), policy and legislation, ideally having experience working in the VAWG sector. 

High level of organisation:

Most of the time you will be working from your home office so you will need be highly self-motivated and organised to meet deadlines for campaigns around international days (e.g. International Women’s Day) for example.  You will be required to attend occasional meetings in Oxfordshire or elsewhere in the UK, for example at conferences where Sundial is represented, and some team meetings.

Strategic skills:

• Create and deliver Sundial’s marketing and social media strategy, ensuring a consistent message is shared with supporters

• Help grow social media networks and audiences

• Review analytics and prepare reports on progress

• Stay informed of upcoming trends and developments within the field of social media

Marketing skills:

• Creation of marketing materials

• Email and social media marketing

• Develop, implement and manage a wide range of young people’s participation and engagement campaigns ensuring successful delivery

Administration skills:

Administrative tasks, such as maintaining databases of press contacts, providing data about our communications for inclusion in bids for funding and reporting to donors.

Technical and digital skills:

• Create high quality, sensitive content to share online, such as videos and case studies, in order to raise awareness of harmful practices 

• Check and maintain accounts across social media platforms, posting updates where appropriate 

• Maintain a proactive approach to communications on social media accounts

• Skilled in using scheduling tools, Canva, Wordpress, film and photo editing

• Manage audio and video uploads and channels

• Contribute to the development of new online resources and projects

Relationships:

• Work with the Sundial team and participate in regular meetings as required

• Research and solicit potential ambassadors, influencers and celebrities

• Develop and manage relationships with ambassadors and influencers

• Manage the content of influencers, ensuring that their messaging is consistent with Sundial’s

• Keep the CEO informed of significant problems that might jeopardise the wellbeing of the organisation

• Promote the organisation’s commitment towards Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and ensure that this is embedded in your work.

 

Press:

• Prepare press releases

• Build relationships with journalists in both English and international languages UK press houses

• Coordinate interviews with Sundial team members

 

HOW to APPLY

·       Please send your CV and a covering letter explaining your interest in the issues Sundial addresses and your relevant experience. Please also ensure your CV includes details of two referees. We will not contact your referees prior to interview.

·    We strongly encourage applications from people from communities affected by harmful practices.

·       Applicants called to interview will be invited to complete a written task. Interviews will take place on the 19th and 20th May.

·       The appointment is subject to an enhanced DBS check and references.

Children’s Services Delivery and Operations Manager
 
Location: Welsh House- Pen Y Bryn
Department: Operations
Salary: £40,000.00 to £42,000.00pa
Hours: 37.5 per week
Job Type: Full time
Contract Type: Permanent
 
e are looking for a dynamic and experienced Operations Manager to oversee the day-to-day management of services, compliance, and staff leadership in a remote setting. This role requires a strong leader who can balance professionalism with charisma, effectively engaging with stakeholders and building new relationships to drive growth and success. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in operations management, excellent communication skills, and the ability to manage both strategic planning and operational delivery. Flexibility is essential, as the role may require working weekends, evenings, and school holidays. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a hands-on, fast-paced environment and is committed to creating a safe and compliant setting for all, we would love to hear from you.
 
Job Purpose
 
The Operations Manager is responsible for the effective day-to-day management of services, compliance, staff leadership, site maintenance, and stakeholder engagement. This role ensures service continuity, safeguarding compliance, financial oversight, and infrastructure management, particularly in a remote location that requires strong on-the-ground leadership.
 
The ideal candidate will balance professionalism with charisma, fostering a positive and collaborative team environment. They will also play a key role in securing new relationships and engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders, using strategic communication and interpersonal skills to build and sustain long-term partnerships.
 
Flexibility is required, as the role may involve working weekends, evenings, and school holidays. The Operations Manager will be hands-on in both strategic planning and operational delivery, ensuring that staff, children, and external stakeholders are fully supported in a safe, compliant, and well-run environment.
 
Key Responsibilities
 
Service Operations & Delivery

• Oversee weekly staff scheduling and rotas, ensuring adequate cover for respite and SEAL programmes.
• Confirm and manage SEAL bookings, supporting the daily delivery of the programme, liaising with schools and handling logistics.
• Conduct site inspections, ensuring all facilities, transport, and equipment meet safety standards.
• Ensure programme materials, food, and supplies are organised ahead of service delivery.
• Coordinate transport and minibus safety checks, ensuring compliance with regulations.

 
Safeguarding & Risk Management
 

• Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring all policies and procedures are followed.
• Review weekly safeguarding reports, updating risk assessments and actioning any concerns.
• Oversee and log incident reports, ensuring concerns are escalated where necessary.
• Conduct daily health & safety checks, including fire safety and emergency response planning.
• Ensure swimming pool safety compliance, conducting water checks and regulatory reporting.
• Attend referral board meetings, discussing child placements and safeguarding needs.

 
Staff Leadership & Development

• Line manage all child-facing staff, including The Children's Services Coordinator and the Groundsman, ensuring effective service delivery.
• Deliver staff briefings, ensuring all team members understand their responsibilities.
• Monitor staff performance, identifying training needs and areas for development.
• Ensure all staff have completed safeguarding, first aid, and compliance training.
• Provide supervision and mentorship, ensuring staff are well-supported and engaged.

 
Site & Facilities Management

•  
• Conduct weekly site inspections, identifying and actioning necessary maintenance.
• Oversee contractors and external service providers, ensuring all work is completed to standard.
• Ensure fire safety, security systems, and emergency protocols are fully operational.
• Manage waste disposal, hygiene standards, and overall site cleanliness.
• Ensure transport compliance, including minibus servicing, safety checks, and records.
•  

Finance & Administration

• Work with the Database Manager to ensure new system updates and process changes are embedded within the operations team on-site.
• Review and approve weekly timesheets, ensuring accuracy for payroll processing.
• Oversee the administration of HR record management systems, ensuring staff records are accurate, up to date, and compliant with regulations.
• Attend monthly payroll meetings and complete monthly payroll administration, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Track operational expenditure and reconcile budgets, ensuring cost efficiency.
• Process invoices for site maintenance, supplies, and programme costs.
• Respond to emails and phone calls, handling stakeholder queries and urgent matters.

 
Stakeholder & External Engagement

• Actively market services to existing partners and establish new referring partners, ensuring continued growth and engagement.
• Liaise with schools, social workers, and local authorities, ensuring smooth referrals.
• Attend networking meetings, representing the organisation and strengthening partnerships.
• Ensure marketing materials are up to date and available, supporting engagement efforts.
• Maintain positive relationships with parents and carers, providing updates on services.

 
Strategic & Financial Planning

• Work with the Director of Operations and other managers to ensure continual service improvements, identifying areas for operational enhancements and efficiency gains.
• Attend monthly payroll meetings, ensuring budget alignment and financial oversight.
• Play a key role in the annual budget-setting process, ensuring alignment with service needs.
• Prepare for and support compliance inspections, ensuring policies and procedures are audit-ready.
• Attend monthly charity-wide meetings online and biannual in-person full charity meetings.

 
Person Specification
 
Essential Criteria

• Proven experience in stakeholder engagement and/or marketing, particularly in promoting services and developing referral partnerships.
• Extensive experience in operations management, preferably within a children’s services or social care setting.
• Strong safeguarding knowledge, with experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead or similar role.
• Experience managing staff, including training, supervision, and performance management.
• Proven experience in budget management and financial oversight.
• Knowledge of health & safety regulations, including fire safety and site risk assessments.
• Ability to work autonomously, making on-site decisions in a remote location.
• Excellent organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to liaise confidently with stakeholders at all levels.
• Competency in IT systems, including financial tracking, compliance reporting, and scheduling tools.

 
Desirable Criteria

• Leadership and management qualification (Level 5 or equivalent).
• Experience managing a residential or respite setting.
• First Aid at Work qualification.
• Minibus driver certification (or willingness to obtain).
• Understanding of GDPR compliance in a childcare setting.

 
Additional Information
 
This role requires flexibility, including some weekend and evening working as required. - The post-holder must pass an enhanced DBS check prior to employment. - Due to the remote location, the ability to travel independently is required.
 
REF-220980